My parents had a direct connection to the Second World War. Their parents had lived through it, they had grown up in its aftermath. Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister when they were born. And there were two days in particular which were pivotal. D-Day, known as the Day of Days, when the Allied forces landed in Normandy and began the liberation of Europe. The second day came later and was called VE-Day (Victory Europe Day) when the war in Europe was finally over. D-Day was the beginning of the end, VE Day was the end. That victory, fought by soldiers, was given to all people.

It’s an appropriate illustration for Easter. There was a Day of Days when the liberation of humanity began. The day when Jesus got up & walked out of the grave. There will be a future Victory Day when the task of liberation is complete. The gospel will have gone to all the nations. We’re living between those two days.

Our enemy, and the enemy of all humanity, is not other people but sin and death. Sin that ruins and death that destroys life. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, Paul can say, “Death is swallowed up in victory. ‘O death, where is your victory?, O death, where is your sting?” 

Theologian Brad East writes about the resurrection this way,

Christians are those who are baptized into Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection and who proclaim their trust in him alone, the Living One, who died on a cross but will never die again. Our hope is that, by the power of God, the fate of Jesus will be ours, too. In a word, Jesus’ rising from the dead isn’t a hypothesis the gospel offers for our consideration. It is the ground of faith, a nonnegotiable premise, the one and only reason to follow Jesus.

Which is why Paul can say that though the battle against sin and death was fought and won by Jesus, he has shared this victory with us. 

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

We are Resurrection People, living in hope of the final victory of Jesus because of the first victory on the cross and the empty tomb. Reason to live with faith, hope and love.